Stop device for woodworking machines, particularly planing machines

ABSTRACT

A stop device for woodworking machines, particularly planing machines, having a stop plate (20) on the machine table (10) and an auxiliary stop ledge (22) which is pivotally mounted on said plate and is swingable from an operating position resting on the machine table (10) into a ready position. In its ready position the auxiliary stop ledge (22) is inserted into a recess (32) within the stop plate (20).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stop device for woodworking machines,particularly planing machines, having a stop plate on the machine tablewith an auxiliary stop ledge pivotally mounted on said plate andswingable from an operating position lying on the machine table into aready position.

BACKGROUND ART

A stop device is described and shown in German Utility Model 81 35 734.When working on narrow workpieces, the auxiliary stop ledge is swunginto its operating position in which it rests on the machine table,whereby small disk-shaped feet serve as spacers between the auxiliarystop ledge and the machine table. In this operating position of theauxiliary stop ledge there is no danger of the hands of the operatorslipping off the workpiece and being injured by the plane knife. On theother hand, if high workpieces are to be worked, for instance for thedressing of the narrow sides of boards, the auxiliary stop ledge must beswung into its ready position. In this ready position the auxiliary stopledge is arranged behind and above the stop plate in the known device.

The known stop device is fully functional when the stop plate is in avertical position. However, if it is necessary to bring the stop plateinto an oblique position, for which purpose its back is fastened to asuitable holding and displacement mechanism, it cannot be avoided inmost cases that the auxiliary stop ledge strikes against the upwardprotruding holding and displacement mechanism whereby it can be damaged;furthermore, in this ready position the holding and displacementmechanism cannot be actuated. Not least of all, in this oblique positionthe auxiliary stop ledge cannot be swung back sufficiently far, so thatit extends into the path of movement of the workpieces thus renderingthe working of high workpieces impossible.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a stop deviceof the aforementioned type in which the auxiliary stop ledge in itsready position is arranged so that irrespective of the position of thestop plate it does not interfere with and prevent the operation ofauxiliary and displacement mechanisms for placing the stop plate in anoblique position.

In accordance with the present invention this object is achieved in astop device of the above-indicated type in the manner that, in its readyposition, the auxiliary stop ledge is lowered into a recess provided inthe stop plate which is fitted to the dimensions of the auxiliary stopledge.

In this solution, the auxiliary stop ledge, in its ready position, formsa unit with the stop plate and is integrated in it so that the stopplate can be easily attached to all ordinary holding and displacementmechanisms without the auxiliary stop ledge presenting an obstacle inits ready position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recess forms aslot which is provided in the stop plate starting from at the upperlongitudinal edge thereof.

This solution has the advantage that the auxiliary stop ledge isreliably seated in its ready position without impairing the front sideof the stop plate which serves as a stop surface.

In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the freelongitudinal side of the auxiliary stop ledge which forms the stop edgeis provided with a grip and guide edge which, in the operating position,protrudes upwardly therefrom.

This grip and guide edge simultaneously accomplishes two objectives.First it facilitates the handling upon the pulling of the auxiliary stopledge out of the slot into its operating position and, secondly, itaffords the operator a guide for his hand so that his hand cannot slipoff during the advancing of the workpiece.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, each ofthe two ends of the auxiliary stop ledge is pivotally connected via aswing arm to a vertically displaceable slide block which is mounted in alongitudinal guide on the corresponding end side of the stop plate.

In this connection, the auxiliary stop ledge can be pivotally attachedto one arm of the substantially L-shaped swing arm while the other armthereof is pivotally fastened to the slide block.

It is advantageous to provide between the slide block and the swing armstop means for limiting the rotation of said swing arm to about 180°between the operating position and the ready position.

In this way, upon the swinging of the auxiliary stop ledge into theready position, the ledge cannot be swung out beyond the slot and behindthe stop plate, so that at the end of this swinging movement it can beeasily lowered into the slot without the operator having to search forthe precise position of the auxiliary stop ledge above the slot.

The stop means can be developed in such a manner that it comprises a pinwhich protrudes from the slide block and engages in a semicircular guidegroove in the swing arm.

In the case of the stop device developed according to the presentinvention, the auxiliary stop ledge has two well-defined positions,namely, an operating position and a ready position, so that noadditional auxiliary means are necessary for clamping or screwingtogether or the like, which would impair the operation and handling ofthe stop device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention can be gleaned from thefollowing description of embodiments which are shown in the drawing, inwhich

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stop device according to the presentinvention, together with a part of the planing machine to which it isfastened;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the stop device with the correspondingauxiliary stop ledge in the ready position;

FIG. 3 shows the stop device in the oblique position;

FIG. 4 is a view of the slide block;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the slide block;

FIG. 6 is a partially cut-away view of the slide block in itslongitudinal guide;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the swing arm;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the stop device on a larger scale, with theauxiliary stop ledge in the ready position;

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 shows still another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 3 show the machine table 10 of a planing machine, the tablehaving a slot 12 through which the knife shaft 14 protrudes upwardly.The stop device 18 developed in accordance with the present invention isfastened on the machine table 10 via a holding and displacing mechanism16.

The stop device 18 is composed essentially of a stop plate 20 and anauxiliary stop ledge 22 mounted swingably on said plate. The stop plate20 has a flat stop surface 24 and is fastened on its rear wall 26 facingaway from said surface to the holding and displacing mechanism 16. Thismakes it possible to swing the stop plate 20 into an oblique position,as shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, the lower longitudinal edge 28 ofthe stop plate 20 is also oblique.

A slot 32 is provided in the stop plate 20 starting from the upperlongitudinal edge 30 of said plate, the slot being adapted to thedimensions of the auxiliary stop ledge 22 so that the latter can belowered into said slot 32 in the ready position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Each of the ends 34 of the auxiliary stop ledge 22 is pivotally mountedvia a pin 36 on a first arm 38 of a substantially L-shaped swing arm 40.The second arm 42 of the swing arm 40 is also pivotally fastened via apin 44 to a slide block 46. The slide block 46, which is shown in FIGS.4 to 6 is, in its turn, mounted in vertically displaceable manner in aslot 48 which is provided on the corresponding end edge of the stopplate 20.

As shown in FIG. 5, the slide block 46 has a step-shaped cross sectionwhich engages into the correspondingly step-shaped slot 48 as shown inFIG. 6 and is securely held in this way.

From the slide block 46, there extends at right angles a pin 50 whichengages into a semicircular guide groove 52 which is provided in the arm42 of the swing arm 40. In this way a stop is formed which limits therotation of the swing arm 40 from the operating position of theauxiliary stop ledge 22 shown in FIG. 1 into the ready position shown inFIGS. 2 and 8 to about 180°. As a result, the swing arm 40, upon saidrotation, cannot be turned beyond the slot 32 and behind the stop plate20, so that a dependable inserting of the auxiliary stop plate 22 fromabove into the slot 12 is assured.

As shown in FIG. 1, the two arms 38 and 42 of the swing arm 40 form aright angle so that, in the operating position of the auxiliary stopledge 22, the arms do not protrude either over said ledge 22 or over thestop plate 20 and assure a disturbance-free guiding of the workpiece 54which is to be planed.

The auxiliary stop ledge 22 is provided, on its free longitudinal sideforming the stop edge 56, with a grip and guide edge 58 which protrudesupwardly when the auxiliary stop ledge 22 is in its operating position.In this way, an additional guide for the operator's hand is present onthe auxiliary ledge 22, which improves safety even more. Furthermore,the grip and guide edge 58 facilitates the handling of the auxiliarystop ledge 22 upon the swinging thereof out of the operating positionshown in FIG. 1 into the ready position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and viceversa.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the front wall 60, which limits the slot 32 inthe stop plate 20 towards the stop surface 24 of said plate, is higherthan its rear wall 26 which in the top 62 thereof is provided a griprecess 64. The grip recess 64 makes it easier for the operator to gripthe grip and guide edge 58 of the auxiliary stop ledge 12 upon pullingit out from the ready position.

For the sake of greater clarity of the invention, necessary protectivedevices such as limb protection, joint cover strips and the like havenot been shown in the FIGURES.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show diagrammatically three modifications of the inventionin which the auxiliary stop ledge 22 is swung and retracted into arecess 32' which is provided in the upper edge (FIG. 9), in the bottomedge (FIG. 10) or in the central region (FIG. 11) of the stop plate 20.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention and various modifications thereof, persons of ordinary skillin the art will recognize that other changes and modifications may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, the above description should be construed asillustrative, and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the inventionbeing defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stop device for woodworking machines,particularly planing machines having a machine table comprising:a stopplate comprising a front wall (60) and a rear wall (26) defining arecess therebetween; means for attaching the stop plate to the machinetable; an auxiliary stop ledge (22) having a free longitudinal sideforming a stop edge (56) and being pivotally mounted on said stop plate;said auxiliary stop ledge being swingable from an operating positionresting on said machine table into a ready position into said recess insaid stop plate for securely housing said auxiliary stop ledge.
 2. Thestop device according to claim 1, wherein said recess is formed by aslot (32) extending from the upper longitudinal edge (30) of said stopplate into said stop plate (20).
 3. The stop device according to claim1, further comprising a grip and guide edge (58) at said freelongitudinal side forming said stop edge (56) of said auxiliary stopledge (22); said grip and guide edge protruding upwardly when saidauxiliary stop ledge is in said operating position.
 4. The stop deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein said front wall (60) is higher than saidrear wall (26) and said rear wall further comprises a grip recess (64)in the top (62) of said rear wall.
 5. The stop device according to claim2, further comprising a vertically displaceable slide block (46) mountedin a slot (48) on the edge of said stop plate (20); anda swing armpivotally connecting an end (34) of said auxiliary stop ledge (22) tosaid slide block.
 6. The stop device according to claim 5, wherein saidswing arm (40) is substantially L-shaped and composed of a first arm(38) which is pivotally connected to said auxiliary stop ledge (22) anda second arm (42) which is pivotally connected to said slide block (46).7. The stop device according to claim 6, further comprising stop meansbetween said slide block (46) and said swing arm (40); said stop meanslimiting the swing of said swing arm (40) to about 180° between saidoperating position and said ready position.
 8. The stop device accordingto claim 7, wherein said stop means comprise a pin (50) which protrudesfrom said slide block (46) and engages in a semi-circular guide groove(52) in said swing arm (40).
 9. The stop device according to claim 2,further comprising a grip and guide edge (58) at said free longitudinalside forming said stop edge (56) of said auxiliary stop ledge (22); saidgrip and guide edge protruding upwardly when said auxiliary stop ledgeis in said operating position.
 10. The stop device according to claim 3,wherein said front wall (60) is higher than said rear wall (26) and saidrear wall further comprises a grip recess (64) in the top (62) of saidrear wall.
 11. The stop device according to claim 9, wherein said frontwall (60) is higher than said rear wall (26) and said rear wall furthercomprises a grip recess (64) in the top (62) of said rear wall.
 12. Thestop device according to claim 3, further comprising a verticallydisplaceable slide block (46) mounted in a slot (48) on the edge of saidstop plate (20); anda swing arm pivotally connecting an end (34) of saidauxiliary stop ledge (22) to said slide block.
 13. The stop deviceaccording to claim 9, further comprising a vertically displaceable slideblock (46) mounted in a slot (48) on the edge of said stop plate (20);anda swing arm pivotally connecting an end (34) of said auxiliary stopledge (22) to said slide block.
 14. The stop device according to claim10, further comprising a vertically displaceable slide block (46)mounted in a slot (48) on the edge of said stop plate (20); anda swingarm pivotally connecting an end (34) of said auxiliary stop ledge (22)to said slide block.